When used in contests, Ghost-type moves typically become [[Smart Contest|Smart]] moves, but some may be [[Cute Contest|Cute]] or [[Tough Contest|Tough]] moves.

When used in contests, Ghost-type moves typically become [[Smart Contest|Smart]] moves, but some may be [[Cute Contest|Cute]] or [[Tough Contest|Tough]] moves.

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In total, there are 18 Pokémon out of the 514 currently known with the Ghost type, and so it accounts for 3.5% of the entire Pokédex, making it the rarest of all types to be had by a Pokémon.

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In total, there are 26 Pokémon out of the 649 currently known with the Ghost type, and so it accounts for a small ammount of the entire Pokédex, making it the rarest of all types to be had by a Pokémon.

Statistical averages

Overall

Fully evolved

Battle properties

Generation I

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

None

2×

0×

0×

Generation II-onward

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

0×

Characteristics

The Ghost type is the smallest elemental type in the game, with few additions in each new Pokémon game. They are also unique in the fact that they have a type-specific attack: Curse, which, other than being the only Template:Type2 move, works differently for Ghost-types than it does for other Pokémon.

Ghost Pokémon are used mainly to inflict status effects, like confusion or paralysis. Most Ghost-type moves cause some sort of effect or a status ailment. They are a good type to use in Pokémon battling, because of their possession of all-around good attacks, such as Hypnosis and Shadow Ball.

It is interesting to note that the weaknesses of the Ghost type are covered by the resistances of the Dark type, and vice-versa, so their combination, seen in the Pokémon Sableye and Spiritomb, has no weaknesses at all. What is to be remembered is that this does not make for a perfect Pokémon. There is always the possibility for the immunities of the Ghost- and Dark-types to be removed via certain moves, such as Foresight and Odor Sleuth, creating a weakness.

When used in contests, Ghost-type moves typically become Smart moves, but some may be Cute or Tough moves.

In total, there are 26 Pokémon out of the 649 currently known with the Ghost type, and so it accounts for a small ammount of the entire Pokédex, making it the rarest of all types to be had by a Pokémon.

Trivia

In Generation I, Ghost-type moves had no effect on Psychic-type Pokémon. An abundance of evidence suggests that this may have been a programming error, rather than intentional: the immunity is contradicted by official type charts published by Nintendo for their Generation I strategy guides, as well as the anime in which it was said that Ghost-type Pokémon are the best type to use against Psychic-type Pokémon.

In Red and Blue, a Trainer in the Saffron Gym even states that Psychic-type Pokémon "only fear Bugs and Ghosts", but this was corrected to remove the reference to Ghost-type Pokémon in Yellow. It is the only elemental type to go from 0× effectiveness to 2× effectiveness between generations.

There are no Ghost-type moves that have an accuracy lower than 100%, as all of them have a 100% accuracy or never miss.

The Ghost type is one of the two types that are weak to their own moves, together with the Dragon-type.

Although they are clearly depicted as levitating in the anime and in the games, the Ghost-types Shedinja, Shuppet, Spiritomb, Dusknoir, and Froslass do not have the ability Levitate and thus remain susceptible to Template:Type2 moves (although Shedinja's Wonder Guard would protect it from Ground-type moves).

Disregarding abilities, Drifloon, Drifblim, Sableye and Spiritomb are the only Pokémon so far to be immune to three types (Drifloon and Drifblim are immune to Normal, Fighting and Ground, whereas Sableye and Spiritomb are immune to Normal, Fighting and Psychic).

However, due to its ability, Shedinja has 12 immunities—the most of any Pokémon.

Ghost is the least abundant type among Pokémon, with only 18 Pokémon of this type among the 493 total.

There has yet to be a Pokémon with a double weakness or a Pokémon with a double resistance to Ghost, though multiple types are weak to it and resist it.

As of Generation II, the Ghost type (along with Normal) are one of only two pairs of different types to share the same interaction against each other (Normal is immune to Ghost and vice versa), not including matchups of regular effectiveness. The other pair is Bug and Fighting (Bug resists Fighting and vice versa).